Sewing machines have been available that sew embroidery patterns based on embroidery data. Such sewing machines store data of embroidery patterns in its internal storage or external storage such as ROM cards and flexible disks. The user is allowed to choose the desired pattern from the selection of such embroidery patterns. The sewing machine reads the embroidery data of the selected embroidery pattern and forms embroidery patterns on the workpiece by transferring the embroidery frame holding the workpiece by way of the transfer mechanism.
The embroidery data of embroidery patterns configured by multiple patterns contains thread color data which is associated with a color-wise pattern section and thus, the color-wise pattern section is sewn in the color of the preset thread color. When a color of a given color-wise pattern section is similar to the color of the workpiece, it may be difficult to distinguish the color-wise pattern section from the workpiece. Taking the example of an embroidery pattern of a “flower” in which the color-wise pattern corresponding to the petals of the flower are identical or similar in color as the workpiece, it may be difficult to distinguish the petals from the workpiece. Thus, the finished pattern may unwantedly appear as a strange embroidery pattern without any pedals.
To address such concerns, embroidery data generating devices have been proposed which pre-store coloring data containing preferable combinations of color. The embroidery data generating device is configured to specify the color of the thread color data associated with the color-wise patterns section based on such coloring data and workpiece data containing information such as the color of the workpiece.
According to such embroidery data generating device, coloring data that defines preferable combinations of colors is pie-stored and the color of the color-wise pattern section of the embroidery pattern is primarily determined based on the workpiece color and the coloring data. However, the user may not want the color of the color-wise pattern section to be confined by the workpiece color or a predetermined color but rather sew the pattern by specifying a preferred color or in an unusual coloring. However, allowing such user specification requires every data entry of the color-wise patterns to be parsed to determine the availability of the specified color and thus, is cumbersome.